1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to gas enhanced electrosurgical instruments. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a supply manifold for use with a gas enhanced electrosurgical instrument having multiple material supply cylinders.
2. Background of Related Art
Various surgical instruments are known for treating tissue. For example, surgical instruments used for tissue division, dissection, ablation, or for arresting blood loss and coagulation are well-known. In a particular application, for example in a coagulation instrument, an electrode is used in conjunction with a heated probe to arrest bleeding.
Some prior art devices include a tube-like coagulation instrument in which an ionizable gas is supplied to the instrument and ionized by the electrode. The provision of an atmosphere of ionized gases is beneficial because it helps focus the energy adjacent the electrode and it displaces oxygen from the area and reduces oxidative stress of the tissue. The gas is propelled from the instrument toward the tissue.
Many surgical procedures are enhanced by the use of wound mediating substances to assist in the healing of tissue. The substances may include blood clotting factors, wound closing adhesives, growth factors, interleukins, cytokines, inflammatory mediating factors, chemokines, meta-metalloproteinase or other biochemicals known to mediate wound healing.
In certain surgeries it may be advantageous to provide other fluids, such as, for example, saline, various dyes, etc. to the surgical instrument for application to tissue. In some instances, it may be advisable to provide one or more of these fluids to the tissue at the same time.